Orange women compare well to last year's team

By Chris Wagner

January 02, 2009, 5:58PM

Stephen D. Cannerelli / The Post-StandardQuentin Hillsman, third-year coach of the Syracuse University women's basketball team, has led the team to an 11-2 mark in the non-conference part of the season. Last year the Orange was one game better, 12-1, heading into Big East play.

The Syracuse women's basketball team ripped through its non-conference season with an 11-2 record. But as the players prepare for their Big East opener Saturday at Georgetown, there's little satisfaction with that kind of mark.

And that's just fine with third-year coach Quentin Hillsman, who last year led the team to a program-best 22-7 regular season.

"That's exactly what I want," Hillsman said. "That's the first thing I spoke about was changing the culture. And if you're not happy about being 11-2, that's pretty good because then you're expecting to go 13-0."

Hillsman, who set a goal of 37-0 at the beginning of the season, wasn't finished: "People think I'm crazy for talking about being undefeated and right now it's proof. We're 11-2 and people are like, what's wrong with them?"

Other than a spate of injuries, not much. But how does the team compare to the 2007-08 squad, which landed SU a berth in the NCAA Tournament for only the fourth time in program history?

In short, this year's version offers a reversal of last year's, serving up more experience in the starting lineup, but less off the bench. This year's squad is also more athletic, but it lacks the height and intimidation factor that the ¤'07-08 lineup featured with big-body power forward Fantasia Goodwin and the 6-foot-4 Vaida Sipaviciute, both of whom graduated.

As for the intangibles, the ¤'08-09 team can't be faulted for lack of effort or resiliency. Four times the Orange women have come out of the gates slowly (Siena, Portland State, Ohio and St. Bonaventure), but each time have rallied from deficits of between 9 and 13 points to win.

On the cusp of conference play, Hillsman and several players offered insight into the two teams:

Experience
Last year's starting lineup featured Chandrea Jones, Tasha Harris and Erica Morrow all playing for the first time at SU, plus veterans Nicole Michael and Sipaviciute. The bench included team leader Goodwin, Tracy Harbut and Cintia Johnson -- all third or fourth-year players.

Stephen D. Cannerelli / The Post-StandardNicole Michael puts up a shot against Princeton. The junior forward known as "Slinky" is averaging 11.9 points and 8.7 rebounds per game this year.

This year, Jones, Harris, Morrow and Michael are a year older and they are joined by junior Vionca Murray in the first fivesome. Juanita Ward, a junior college transfer playing for the first time at Division I level, is the sixth man, followed by a spate of freshmen in Troya Berry, Tyler Ash and Lynnae Lampkins. The only bench experience comes from sophomore guard Marisa Gobuty and 6-3 senior wing Lina Lisnere.

"I don't think people realize that we're probably younger this year than last year," Hillsman said. "Last year we brought in veterans and you knew that they were going to rotate over and get a stop on defense. This year we're very young coming off the bench."

Michael agreed. "It's definitely different. Last year's seniors gave us great experience and they were great rebounders. This year we're younger, especially the players off the bench. They're still learning."

Offense
Both teams had four players averaging in double figures and three of them -- Morrow (18.8), Jones (16.5) and Michael (11.9) -- have returned.

The first sub, Ward, has put up similar numbers to Goodwin, averaging 11.2 points to 12.4 for Goodwin, and has pounded the boards with ferocity. But the indomitable Fanny was a one-of-a-kind team leader.

"Fanny brought a lot of hype," Jones said. "She had us all hyped before the game."

Overall, SU is averaging slightly fewer points per game (72.9) than last year (75.2), but it is thriving in the paint, in transition and at the foul line.

Defense
This year's team can't be faulted for lack of effort on the defensive end. Playing mostly out of a pressing 2-3 zone, the Orange women have held opponents to only 59.4 points per game. That's a couple more than last year's average in the non-conference season, and it may be traceable to lacking a towering player like Sipaviciute in the middle.

"What's hurting us right now compared to last year is not having Vaida and a shot blocker," Hillsman said. "Vaida covered a lot of our mistakes. ... She was a big anchor inside."

Without a big center, opponents with a true center have been successful in establishing a high-low attack against SU, doing most of their damage from 3-point land on kickouts. 

Injuries
While last year's team had few injuries, this year's version has been clobbered by them.

Lynnise Nixon, a junior college transfer, went out before the season started with a ruptured Achilles tendon; Murray has been slowed by a strained calf all year, sitting out the last two games; and Michael missed three games due to a head injury suffered in a fall at Ohio State. Chanieka Williams, who redshirted last year after tearing an ACL, was supposed to be the backup point guard but developed tendonitis in the knee and has played only 20 total minutes.

Add in the loss of Johnson, who gave up her senior season when she became pregnant, and the late arrival of Lampkins, and it's surprising the team has done as well as it has.

"We're actually pretty healthy," Hillsman said, "but the problem is losing Vionca and Lynnise. That's your two post players. So now we're having to play Nicole at the 5 (center) and Lina at the 5, and they're both natural wing players."

Michael refused to use the injuries as an excuse, noting that when she was a freshman the team was reduced to six players.

"If one person gets injured, you just have to play harder," she said.

Strength of schedule
Last year's team started making waves when it knocked off Penn State, which at the time was receiving votes in major polls but ended the year at 13-18. After being routed in the second game by No. 6 North Carolina 97-72, SU rattled off 12 straight wins.

This year, the Orange also have lost to the only ranked team in it's non-conference slate, dropping a 78-71 decision to Ohio State in Columbus. It also fell by one point to Division II power Alaska Anchorage in the Great Alaska Shootout, but has done well with comeback victories over several good mid-majors (Portland State, Ohio and St. Bonaventure).

Big East begins
So, are the Orange prepared for the Big East season? Hillsman is confident they are.

"We've been playing good enough to be in the top half of the Big East Conference," he said. "As long as the players continue to execute the game plan, I think we'll be fine."

Michael knows it won't be easy.

"In the Big East every team is just as good as we are or better," she said. "So, we just have to bring it. Whoever wants it more wins the game."

As for Jones, she hopes the new season rekindles the flame that helped SU to a 10-6 mark in the Big East last year.

"I think last year's team had more energy," she said. "We were excited about the season (because) it was everybody's first time together. We were nervous, all the emotions mixed together. This year we're trying to get back to that."